TORONTO — Ontario's former Progressive Conservative leader is defending the nearly $300,000 he spent on support staff and office operations after resigning from the party helm earlier this year, saying it was in line with legislative rules and involved severance payments to staff.

A government document leaked Thursday shows Patrick Brown, who is running for mayor in Monday's municipal election in Brampton, Ont., carried out the spending in his final two months as a legislator, when he sat...